Does Propecia Regrow Hair, or just stop further loss?

One of the more common questions when regarding Propecia is whether there’s any point in using it if you’re already experiencing a lot of hair loss. Are you ‘too far gone’ already to consider Propecia? Or, is there the possibility that Propecia will help to regrow your lost hair as well as stopping any further losses?

The answer is that whilst Propecia is not the catalyst for hair regrowth, it can reduce the amount of DHT circulating in your scalp – which allows your hair to grow back.

So Propecia doesn’t technically grow your hair back, but it does give your scalp a better environment which allows your damaged hair to revitalise itself.

What does Propecia really do?

• Pauses/slows down male pattern baldness – Male pattern baldness is essentially the process of your hair loss follicles slowly shrinking as you age. This affects the majority of guys at some point in their lifetime. Propecia stops this minimzation, which is why it is most effective in those who have experienced minimal hair loss already.
• Hair Regrowth – This area has far less extensive research that the pausing/slowing down of hair loss. Propecia stops your body converting testosterone to DHT, which in some cases allows your hair follicles to start growing hair again.
• Prostate – Not many people know that Propecia has an effect on your prostate – this is something that you should be aware of. Propecia has been found to decrease the size of a man’s prostate, which may sound like a good thing; but this isn’t always the case if you don’t want to decrease your sperm count.

The difference between Minoxidil and Finasteride is pretty simple. Finasteride prevents the conversion of testosterone to DHT in your body – DHT is the primary cause of baldness in men. DHT, or dihydrotestosterone, does affect women too in some ways, but it’s primarily an issue if you’re dealing with male pattern baldness. This is a natural thing for your body to do, which is why some take issue with the use of hair loss drugs.

So whilst Finasteride is made to prevent this conversion, Minoxidil works in a different way. Minoxidil helps to improve the circulation of blood in your scalp. This allows more stimulation in your hair follicles, which helps your hair to regrow where the follicle may have previous been impaired. With the increased blood flow and oxygen reaching your hair follicles, you have more chance of hair regrowth and help to mitigate any current losses you’re experiencing.

Propecia Regrowth Time

How long will it take for your hair to start regrowing after starting to take Propecia? Well, we can only go by individual accounts and it is usually different for different people. Most commonly, you won’t see any significant changes within the first 6 months.

This is normal – many people do not experience any changes in their hair within the first 10-12 months. For this reason, Propecia is certainly something that you have to commit to long term if you do decide to opt for it.

The majority of Propecia users state that they notice results anywhere within the first few months to within 12-18 months. This includes the stopping of hair loss, and in some cases, regrowth of hairs lost.

Should I use other products with Propecia?

It’s up to you. Many people experience good results with Propecia using it alone. Though there are those that swear by “the Big 3” – Propecia, Rogaine and Nizoral. The combination of these three hair loss products together is supposedly the next best thing to a hair transplant, so you may want to consider this.

People who should avoid Propecia

You should not take Finasteride if;

• You’re a woman or child – Propecia isn’t approved for women, although you will find some hair loss treatments for women that contain finasteride. It is down to you if you want to use this treatment. Do not use Propecia for children under any circumstance.
• Pregnant women – If you do decide to use a finasteride treatment, then you should stop immediately if you find out that you are pregnant. It can have an effect on your child’s growth.
• Those with low sex drives – Propecia is designed to lower the amount of DHT circulating in your body. DHT is a naturally produced hormone. This reduction is said to lead to lower sex drives and possible erection issues (the people who have reported this issue are minimal, but beware that this is still a risk of taking Propecia).
• Reduced prostate can mean less ejaculate – The reduction in prostate size can mean that you will produce less semen – though don’t worry, it’s not likely to have an effect on your sperm count though it has been linked in studies to infertility.

So does Propecia regrow hair?

The correct answer is that Propecia does not regrow hair, but allows your hair follicles the ability to regrow by reducing the amount of DHT circulating through your body. Yes, I know that sounds like Propecia regrows your hair, but it’s sort of a ‘knock on effect’ type of thing.

If you’re looking to use Propecia, then I advise that you thoroughly check all of the side effects beforehand. This is to make sure that you are willing to take the risks associated with using Propecia – don’t do anything that you’re uncomfortable with!

Conclusion

Whichever steps you wish to take, it’s usually a good idea to consult a doctor before you make any decision. Remember – going bald isn’t the end of the world, but you can take matters into your own hands if you wish to.